But, despite suffering on-going symptoms of life-changing injuries, Jade has stunned her family and medical staff by making a remarkable recovery, which has even seen her return to her travel and tourism course at Bournemouth and Poole College, albeit with assistance.

Speaking to the Daily Echo on the day after her 20th birthday, Jade and her mum Julia said they wanted to give hope to other families in similar situations, to raise awareness of how difficult it is to live with a brain injury and to thank the people who helped Jade at the scene.

Jade was one of four young people travelling in a Volkswagen Polo when it ploughed into a six- foot wall lining Salisbury Street.

The three others sustained superficial injuries but Jade was airlifted to Southampton Hospital and was in a medically-induced coma for several days.

Her parents, Julia and Steve were told to prepare for the worst.

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Julia, 45, said: “We were in this little room and the specialist just sat there, put his hands to his face and then looked up and said ‘All I can say is we’re trying to make Jade stable.

“I have to tell you it’s not looking good and we’re not sure what’s going to happen in the next couple of hours.”

“A few hours later the anaesthetist man came and sat next to me.

“He said ‘She’s stable but her injuries are so significant that we don’t think she’ll make it through the night.’”

Doctors warned that if Jade came out of the coma, she could be paralysed for the rest of her life.

“They said two to three times if she didn’t move we might have to make a choice,” said Julia.

“I looked at her and said I will not make a choice. I said she will make it if she’s as strong as I think she is.”

A fortnight after the collision, Jade was transferred to Poole Hospital and another fortnight later, surgeons were ready to undergo the complex facial reconstruction work Jade needed.

“She had no eye socket, it was completely smashed. Her cheekbone had smashed bones in it and her top jaw was completely broken – we were told that’s what had pierced a bit of the brain,” said Julia.

“They said they needed to make a hole in her forehead to check the membrane had not broken.

“If it had, an infection could get in and Jade could die. I walked out and said to Steve ‘I can’t sign my daughter’s life away, I can’t do that.’ I said he would have to sign it because I couldn’t physically do it.”

The operation took six hours but surgeons achieved incredible results. Jade was allowed to return home on January 17 2013, almost four months after the collision.

The past year has been full of emotional ups and downs for Jade, her parents and her 22- year-old-brother Shayne as Jade struggles with ongoing memory loss and angry mood swings.

She has also completely lost her sense of taste and smell.

“I feel privileged to still be here, I just miss my old life,” she said.

“I miss my memory, remembering what things are and what I’m doing, what I like and what I don’t like.

“I want to smell flowers, you want to smell nice things and you just smell air. That’s all you can smell.

“And I hate not being able to remember stuff, I know it’s in there, I just can’t remember it.”

She said she would like to raise awareness of brain injuries and the support needed for sufferers.

“Cancer you know about but a brain injury can kill you and can also change the person. You have to learn to live with yourself for the rest of your life.

“People don’t get taught about brain injury as much as you do cancer or heart attacks.”

Support workers now assist Jade as she continues her studies at Bournemouth College and she sees a psychologist once a week.

Her mum said she hoped others would take inspiration from Jade’s recovery.

“My advice would be look for that glimmer and hold onto that glimmer and treat every day as part of a process.

“Just take every day as it comes and once you have that glimmer of hope just hold onto it, there will be others that follow.”

Family offers thanks for all who gave their support

JADE and her family said they would like to thank all their family and friends who had supported them, including Brian and Maggie, and they are keen to get in touch with the many people who helped Jade in the aftermath of the collision.

In particular, the family would like to meet and thank the two people on the street who saw the crash and gave a report to the police, the paramedics, the Cranborne residents who assisted, the fire brigade and the air ambulance crew.

Anyone who was involved in the events can contact Julia by emailing julia1827@hotmail.co.uk.

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Julia also wants to thank her employers LV, particularly Georgia Shire and Max Clark, who allowed her to take as much time off as she needed and were incredibly supportive, and her parents, mother-in-law and other friends and family for all their help.

They are also grateful to all the staff at Southampton General Hospital who helped save Jade’s life.

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Comments (11)

Brave student Jade Hutchings speaks of battle to rebuild her life after horrific crash on Salisbury Street in Cranborne

ben111 says...7:47am Wed 5 Mar 14

Good luck , and im sure your life changing situation will be a very positive one.

Good luck , and im sure your life changing situation will be a very positive one.ben111

Good luck , and im sure your life changing situation will be a very positive one.

Score: 16

hamworthygirl says...7:55am Wed 5 Mar 14

Amazing young lady and family all the best for the future Jade xx

Amazing young lady and family all the best for the future Jade xxhamworthygirl

Amazing young lady and family all the best for the future Jade xx

Score: 21

loftusrod says...8:17am Wed 5 Mar 14

Fantastic story, best wishes to Jade and her family.

Fantastic story, best wishes to Jade and her family.loftusrod

Fantastic story, best wishes to Jade and her family.

Score: 14

RM says...8:18am Wed 5 Mar 14

All the very best for your future Jade.

All the very best for your future Jade.RM

All the very best for your future Jade.

Score: 14

Branksome snail says...8:57am Wed 5 Mar 14

what a dear brave brave girl

what a dear brave brave girlBranksome snail

what a dear brave brave girl

Score: 15

tisdarcy says...9:04am Wed 5 Mar 14

A brave and beautiful young lady, I'm sure you'll go from strength to strength. I wish you the very best for a fantastic future xx

A brave and beautiful young lady, I'm sure you'll go from strength to strength. I wish you the very best for a fantastic future xxtisdarcy

A brave and beautiful young lady, I'm sure you'll go from strength to strength. I wish you the very best for a fantastic future xx

Score: 16

PeachesRolls says...9:11am Wed 5 Mar 14

I remember this dreadful accident and it is wonderful to hear how much progress Jade has made from being in a life threatening situation to being back at college. It is clear that she has faced an enormous challenge but her comment that she feels privileged to be here probably sums up why she has made such fantastic progress. Sincerely hoping that this continues for her.

I remember this dreadful accident and it is wonderful to hear how much progress
Jade has made from being in a life threatening situation to being back at college. It is clear that she has faced an enormous challenge but her comment that she feels privileged to be here probably sums up why she has made such fantastic progress. Sincerely hoping that this continues for her.PeachesRolls

I remember this dreadful accident and it is wonderful to hear how much progress Jade has made from being in a life threatening situation to being back at college. It is clear that she has faced an enormous challenge but her comment that she feels privileged to be here probably sums up why she has made such fantastic progress. Sincerely hoping that this continues for her.

Score: 14

MrPitiful says...9:41am Wed 5 Mar 14

This girl is an inspiration compared to all the people you read about on here who moan about not having this and not being able to do that. I hope she continues to go on from strength to strength. Puts a lot of things into perspective.

This girl is an inspiration compared to all the people you read about on here who moan about not having this and not being able to do that.
I hope she continues to go on from strength to strength.
Puts a lot of things into perspective.MrPitiful

This girl is an inspiration compared to all the people you read about on here who moan about not having this and not being able to do that. I hope she continues to go on from strength to strength. Puts a lot of things into perspective.

Score: 18

wilkiemini says...9:44am Wed 5 Mar 14

So pleased to see you recovering well albeit slowly, it's a miracle! Well done LV what a great employer A certain well known bank with a horse logo could learn an awful lot from you!

So pleased to see you recovering well albeit slowly, it's a miracle!
Well done LV what a great employer A certain well known bank with a horse logo could learn an awful lot from you!wilkiemini

So pleased to see you recovering well albeit slowly, it's a miracle! Well done LV what a great employer A certain well known bank with a horse logo could learn an awful lot from you!

Score: 10

Kevin_123 says...1:32pm Wed 5 Mar 14

What a truly brave young woman. I feel if any of us can help her then we will try? I hope she can go on now and have a fulfilling life and I wish her nothing but the very best.

What a truly brave young woman. I feel if any of us can help her then we will try? I hope she can go on now and have a fulfilling life and I wish her nothing but the very best.Kevin_123

What a truly brave young woman. I feel if any of us can help her then we will try? I hope she can go on now and have a fulfilling life and I wish her nothing but the very best.

Score: 5

Old Boscombe Lad says...4:20am Thu 6 Mar 14

Hi Jade, I hope and pray that you regain all or at the very least most of that which you lost. You are a very brave and lucky young lady. Miracles do happen as we have all witnessed by your miraculous recovery. I wish you all the very best in your future endeavours.

Hi Jade,
I hope and pray that you regain all or at the very least most of that which you lost. You are a very brave and lucky young lady. Miracles do happen as we have all witnessed by your miraculous recovery. I wish you all the very best in your future endeavours.Old Boscombe Lad

Hi Jade, I hope and pray that you regain all or at the very least most of that which you lost. You are a very brave and lucky young lady. Miracles do happen as we have all witnessed by your miraculous recovery. I wish you all the very best in your future endeavours.

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